I have not seen or cast a ***** Creek. Here is what I suggest. Call The Full Creel and talk to them about the rods. They sell both rods and will at least have seen both rods. They have a 21 day trial period and you can return it if you are not satisfied. Call The Full Creel toll free at: 800-811-8211. They are a sponsor of this forum.

I started the ***** Creek Fly Gear company last year. We carry excellent gear at a very reasonable price. The Prowler Series is a great rod for $179. The MAG-xT Large Arbor Fly Reel is another tremendous piece of gear offered at a huge value. Being a new company, we are presently trying to get the name and the gear in as many hands as possible... so, we're offering the gear at some fantastic introductory prices on various websites.

I've got a TFO Lefty Kreh Finese in the 3wt, 7'9" size. I have never cast a ***** Creek rod, but I can give you some feedback on the Finesse and speculate on the differences. The Finese is a medium action rod in three sections that weighs 2.7 ounces (TFO specs are 2.8 ounces I think, but I measured 2.7). It's great for smaller dry flies and nymphs, roll casts incredibly accurately and delicately and is all around a fun small stream rod. The ***** Creek Prowler 3wt is an 8' rod, which should still be quite accurate, but will allow you to roll cast a little easier to distance (given the slightly larger loop), and even though it's only 3" longer, should also make mending a tad easier--although with any rod this short, mending is a completely different story than with a 9' rod. The Prowler is a med-fast rod, which might give it an advantage in casting longer distances, though rod action can definitely be a personal preference thing. ***** Creek rods also include a rod tube, which you don't get with the TFO.

That said, the 3wt Finesse is a sweet small stream rod and for my own part, I have no reason to suspect that a better 3wt rod exists.

I started the ***** Creek Fly Gear company last year. We carry excellent gear at a very reasonable price. The Prowler Series is a great rod for $179. The MAG-xT Large Arbor Fly Reel is another tremendous piece of gear offered at a huge value. Being a new company, we are presently trying to get the name and the gear in as many hands as possible... so, we're offering the gear at some fantastic introductory prices on various websites.

Hmm, So I assume you are going to keep this "ebay only". I know many a fly shop and they would be mighty peeved if in the future you got the rods in their shop at msrp, and they had their longtime customers come in accusing them of trying to rip them off, trying to sell a $109 fly rod they saw at the full creel for $170. With all the big box stores, you would be surprised at how extremely sensitive they are at selling a rod at msrp only to have a customer come in compaining that they saw it at shop X for %60 of that cost! And if that customer has bought 3 sages, 2 winstons, 2 islanders, booked 3 travel trips, you can imagine how red hot mad they will be with you. If they do business with you, they will expect no other company to sell less than the msrp.. INCLUDING YOUR WEBSITE. Does your website sell direct?

PS: just imagine how incredibly stupid a fly shop would feel if they had just ordered your rods only to see George's message "dont buy from a fly shop, they are way overpriced, you can get them from the full creel for %60 of what a fly shop sells them for !!)

I paid $120 some for the 3wt prowler rod/reel and line and case on ebay from the full creel. its brand new also. $179 just for the rod sounds high priced compared to all I got for $123 bux.

Yes, But how does it fish!! I hear the tfo finese gets tailing loops if you try to cast it more than 50 feet. How does it cast? Dont tell me a little snow is preventing you from casting it!! MAN UP!! People going out in the freezing snow with 20 mile per hour winds to cast for steelhead.

haha you are right! big wussy I am! cold stupid snow! but the thing is I do go out for steelies in the sub artic climate. brrrr. another thing tho is that you would need a auger or a huge boulder to smash through the ice to fish. that said I was gonna go cast out in my yard but I heard 3wts don't cast well in 20mph winds. I just need to line it up next time a buddys around and go out and practice some cause the weathers getting a lil better. even if I do go cast, I am a beginner so I don't know if tailing loops would be the rods fault or mine. so sorry bro so far all I can say is my advice is they seem worth it just looking at it. plus all the stuff ya get with it. I love cheap deals if they are good so about the cheaper ebay price I was just trying to help ya guys out. I would hate to pay more for something than you have to now in this time and age. hell maybe you could spend the extra $100 plus bux that u'd need for line, reel, leader, and case and get some extra stuff from the guy. like flys and leaders and maybe even a net lol. if ya want to get bent out of shape about it maybe I should of kept quiet and let ya pay way more.. fishbones is the man I got this combo from. hes the cheapest around! if other fly shops see this post sorry guys, maybe you will get the point to sell your rods cheap like this man! full creel rocks!

50 feet is pretty far for a 3wt Finesse. I don't know if I've ever even had a need to cast mine farther than 45 feet, but I'd think that since it's a medium action, 7'9" rod, 50 feet would be approaching its limit. Maybe I'm naiive in saying that, or showing that I'm not a highly skilled caster, but I'd go with a longer, faster action rod to make 50 foot casts on a 3wt. The Finesses are designed for close-in casting.